AquariaUSA

keep an eye out also for when Cameta Cam runs sales (usually found on Amazon). I recently picked up the Canon XS, 18-55mm Canon Lens, 75-300mm Canon Lens, 2x8GB cards, 2xBatteries, Camera Bag and small accessories for $684...I had looked for weeks and as mentioned prior, don't pay attention to boosted MP unless you don't mind paying this years most recent sticker price. Most of the reviews I read peg the last three Canons pretty similar in features. now to figure out how to use it...or the best settings for tank shots

Just an FYI...the CB Bangaii are not always available from ORA...so it may be a short wait before you see them... There was a guy on RC in New York that was breeding them often (forgot name, sorry...but just do a search on the forums). Now if I could just breed my blue~eyes!

George... You might want to contact either chideloh or geofloors on the WAMAS boards. They are the two that I would think would have what you are looking for from what I can remember Not sure if anyone else has the rainbow monti's for it has been a while since I have been to a meeting or to tanks around DC. Have fun at MACNA!

cool! I thought it was to separate Only thing I can recommend to anyone using OMs is to make sure you do a good job on the teflon tape around the outlets. If you don't you will see an "air induction" which in turn causes excess microbubbles. Sometimes after you teflon the fitting may move causing this to happen. Some will fill with salt creep, others will not. Overall, I would have to say this was one of the best reef inventions of 2004!

Any reason for using a 90 degree elbow out of the Mag18? This will reduce the flow from the pump prior to hitting the OM. Also...the ball valves out of the OM? Were you worried about too much flow (which could be restricted by the ball valve from the base of the pump outlet) or just wanted to make the unit separable from the plumbing? I like the new 8 way versus the old style, but the old style was much easier to plumb to a tank Glad to see another OM out there, Paul makes an estounding product!

haha!!! I just got my Mangroves from Key Biscayne (ssshhh, my inlaws did it this time!)

No problem Will be making another trip back up there for work in 6-7 hours :( This time I am driving due to Dulles fiasco last time around...hehe

Happy Holidays! Many of you know I have been doing quite a bit of traveling between Baltimore and Charlotte the past few months (flying back up tomorrow!). I wanted to take some time out to thank the WAMAS membership for all that the club has provided to it's members and local businesses. AquariaUSA has really enjoyed working with WAMAS members as customers! Although we will be changing a lot of things over the coming months, I do plan to keep somewhat active in the MD-DC-VA area, even though I will be spending most of my time in the Carolinas now. But I did want to send my regards for the friendships and business dealings we have had and will continue to have in the future. Kudos to WAMAS, one of the best clubs in the northeast! *In all fairness, I will also be posting this on CMAS since many people are members of both clubs as well as customers.

:0

OK, I tried to put the venturi tube on the MJ1200, but you have to use an extra piece on the output tube, and that will not fit into the tubing that goes to the remora. Also, there was no reference about the venturi on the instruction page for the remora. I'm confused....Has anyone else been able to do this???? Remember we're talking about a Remora skimmer here with a MJ1200. Thanks! The Remora is not meant to use the Venturi function from the Maxijet (CPRs can with the Rio) for it is a spray injected skimmer (Not venturi). There should be a tiny air inlet screw on your Remora. You can loosen that...but don't worry about how much gunk your Remora pulls. All too often people want a skimmer to skim all the time, when there is nothing left to skim (thus overskimming can occur, stripping the tank of essential nutrients that corals and other inverts may need to feed off of). I probably have close to two dozen Remora's out there on small tanks (those under 75 gallon) and they all work just fine. I used CPRs years ago, and they are made by a good company as well, but I do prefer the Remora. You will hear many sides of the fence regarding both brands (one preferred over the other, etc.) but they both do a good job on a small tank. The MSRP of a Remora and MJ1200 is/was $164.95. You can sometimes get a used on on eBay for close to $100. We also sell them locally $160+tax or UPS (not really meant as a plug, for we do require prepay on them prior to order) and I think a few people in WAMAS and CMAS have picked them up in the past. MD is the #1 seller of them, but the wholesale op is related to them http://www.proteinskimmer.com/products/Remora.htm

Sell your neighbor instead

I missed the context of this post!!! Why do you have to house your neigbors shark? Why does he not want it??? At one foot, the species should be able to double in mass every 3 months for the first year if fed the correct diet.

I think your neighbor might be part of the problem Insulated plywood tank? Not to make fun, but I would really like to learn more about his plan. The only insulation you would be able to use outdoors would be the earth (if done right), and he would have to go pretty deep just to maintain a hospitable climate (with at least 1000 watts of continuous heat~which would be a nice electric bill addition at the end of the month) for a shark. However, with air exposure to the top of the "shark tank" that would let most, if not all of the heat escape into the air. Greenhouse potential maybe, but that will run the bill up. I seriously doubt keeping a Chiloscyllium in a 275 would be enough. If you can afford at least an 8'x4'x2' tank that would be the smallest I would do, however, to live in a decent habitat you should really go 10-12' in length and as wide as possible to be able to keep the shark through maturity (5-15 years). Remember...pets like these need to be kept for years if they do well. Not like your average goldfish you can just giveaway. I remember after high school years ago, my parents adopted a full grown Iguana (she is now 9-10 years old), a 5' Varanus niloticus (Nile Monitor), a 24" Pangasius hypothalmus (Irridescent shark that I paid $.99 for and bought a 200 gallon tank for $1000 which it outgrew), etc. etc. How would your parents feel about adopting a shark? What if the shark has medical issues that need attention? Do you have the cash for antibiotics, vitamins? Thinking they are easy to handle at 3' is not as easy as you may think (you can't net them). Bill, enough of my trying to convince ya man. I would be more impressed and supportive if you can tell me what you can learn about the species this week. Feel free to post it in this thread. Perhaps then some will chime in to give you a few helpful tips...but until then the "I want to get a shark", is going to be hard to get support for since a lot of the members have been down that road before. What ever happened to captive bred fish? Coral? The National Aquarium in Baltimore (NAIB) charges very little to see 6-7 species of sharks anytime you want. They also have a great Student Volunteer program. In addition, they have one of the better "shark experts" on the east coast (Alan).

IMO stores should NOT even order any species of shark!!! I have been in this business for 12 years, and have maintained many systems with sharks (nurse, cats/bamboos, epaulettes, horn, wobbies, etc.). Now does this mean I actively sell sharks but speak against keeping them? Yes and no Over the years we have taken over accounts that were getting poor an uneducated service. When the nurse sharks get to big, NAIB is almost 90% unable to take them. The zoo most likely cannot take them, etc. Feel like driving to the Key West aquarium with a shark in the back of the van (along with 300+ gallons of water and life support systems?...it's a long drive, and they might not be able to take them! How about Monterrey? Ripley's...just to test the theory, start calling those AZA member institutions and see how often they are able to take in former shark pets). The problem is they all GROW to big for what most hobbyists can afford to maintain. A 200 gallon tank will not even hold a catshark to maturity (in a humane way). Plywood tanks...yes they are cheap, but if you cannot afford $5-15 thousand or more, don't buy the shark. Think about the cost to feed a shark. Even if you feed them minimally, fresh seafood and vitamins cost more than most of us spend each week on food (shrimp, scallops, fresh fish, etc.). It's not about being cool because you have a shark (I know I sound like an old geezer now!), or keeping costs below what most people would spend to keep the animals we have...but to maintain them to the best of our ability. enter the aquarist...but hopefully an aquarist that is educated first. In this regard, I honestly do not think it's all about age, but the persons ability to be a humane aquarist. Speaking on bamboo/catsharks directly (which I have plenty of experience here) you should know that their growth rate is pretty fast, with the two well known species hitting 34-46" in length (3-5 years easy if you feed high protein foods only 1-2 times per week). They will become AGGRESSIVE during feedings. I have had them eat lions, groupers, and morays, so don't think they are peaceful. Nurse sharks...forget it! Your neighbor should start calling aquariums now. There is a not so ethical aquarium service guy in Baltimore that has/had a nurse in a client's 700 gallon. That tank is also far to small for the 24" species. How about a nice angel for lunch...woah $175 angel? The smallest (bamboo only) shark tank we will do now is over a 1,000 gallons shallow....but the price starts at $25K for the client. I did buy the "shark tank" from the guy on ebay, and it is really just a frag tank (72"x36"x14")...the shark died on the guy (which the store should have not sold in the first place). They can be very sensitive animals. The point is...most of us really get into aquarium keeping, which is great...but there is a fine line of being an ethically minded aquarist, and one that just wants something most people don't have. If you are willing to spend big bucks to keep a small shark species, great, if not, please don't try it just to try. Not trying to pick on ya man, just trying to help you before you get into something you should probably avoid all together.

Glad to have a licensed electrician on the boards Great reply Tony!